Home at 7, dinner at 8 - Baked Apricot Brioche

This dish is a quick take on the much-loved bread and butter pudding but without the cooking and setting time.

It's no harder to prepare than making a quick sandwich.

Preparation 10; Cooking 15; Serves 6

One small brioche loaf or three large croissants
50g softened butter
100g apricot jam
Two 400g tins of halved apricots in juice
100g golden caster sugar
vanilla ice cream or double cream, to serve

1 Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Slice the brioche loaf into six thick slices or the croissants in half lengthways and butter on both sides. Lay the slices in an ovenproof dish, roughly measuring 20 x 20cm (you may need another brioche loaf to cover the bottom of the dish) and generously spread over the apricot jam.

2 Drain the apricots (reserving some of the juice) and lay cut-side down onto the buttered and jammed brioche. Sprinkle the sugar over the top and drizzle with two to three tablespoons of the reserved apricot juice.

3 Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until slightly crispy at the edges. Serve with the accompaniment of your choice.

This dessert works really well with fresh fruits such as pears, peaches and nectarines, especially when ripe and in season.

Home at 7, Dinner at 8 by Sophie Wright (Kyle Cathie, £14.99)